It's Been More Than Two Decades, but I'm Finally Going "Home"!-A DLR PTR *updated 1/9*

[ashw100]

I would be excited about this, too. I've seen both those items in people's TRs and they always look good and seem to get good reviews.

Looks like a good ADR plan! Hard to keep things narrowed down on a short trip.

I hop it is all good, I am just so excited to try new places.

The Plaza Inn breakfast is great- lots of characters and I actually liked the food when we went.

Blue Bayou is really nice, a good spot for a birthday dinner! And if you can get the F! package it's even better!

That's great to hear, I haven't heard much other than about the characters. I will be interested to see how we feel about the Blue Bayou after we go, hopefully I love it as much as everyone else.

 

[ashw100]

As I prepare for my pilgrimage to the original Disney park, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane, for my previous trips to DLR. Now keep in mind, the quality of these pictures isn't great because, one they're old, and two I took a picture of them with my phone while they were still in their album.

The first three trips, were just day visits, driving up from the Marine Corp base. Our first time was in 1992. My grandparents came to California to visit us and took us there.

Mickey flowers


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this was the summer Toontown opened


Meeting Pluto

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Our second trip was with my uncle. He is a big Disney fan as well and he came to visit, while my dad was deployed. This was 93 or 94, can't remember.

Pinocchio is a rare meet now


I'm not so sure about Goofy


Always a classic, Dumbo

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Our last trip was in 1996, the year we moved away from California. Just my family of four went that time. This is the trip I remember the most of the three. I have so many vivid memories of this day and this was really the trip that cemented my love of the Disney parks. Getting churros in Frontierland, watching the parade, and classics like the Matterhorn, Fantasyland dark rides, and the Disneyland railroad. Sadly, I only have two pictures from the day though.

Meeting Mickey Mouse


This was the "final" year of the Main Street Electrical Parade

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In 2005, we spent almost two weeks in California visiting the entire state. We stayed two nights in Anaheim at, I believe, a Holiday Inn. The first night we ate dinner at the, new to us, Downtown Disney. We ate at a Mexican restaurant, which I am guessing was Tortilla Jo's, but I don't remember. Then we watched the Disneyland fireworks from Downtown Disney.

A very bad picture of me and my brother in Downtown Disney

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The next day we went to California Adventure. I so badly wanted to go to Disneyland, but my dad doesn't like to do things over and over, so Disneyland was out. DCA was at least new to us.

Paradise Pier, or should I call it Pixar Pier now


Tower of Terror, RIP

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I hope you had fun traveling down memory lane with me. I love looking at old pictures of the parks, especially when you see how it has changed so much. I am hoping that I can recreate some pictures and memories with my family in February.

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[Dugette]

Love your walk down Disneyland memory lane! So glad that you get to go back!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Your old DLR photos are great! What a fun little trip down memory lane...

 

[Woth2982]

Love your old DLR photos! I have one from 1985 with my dad and I and some random kid with Gippetto and Pinocchio! I look terrified and remember being terrified. We have another of Snow White holding me and I'm crying lol. I do however remember loving Minnie Mouse and fighting a crowd of 6 year old to get to her! I was one determined 3 year old! I agree it is very fun to look back and see how much has changed over the years, just like Walt wanted it. Always evolving.

 

[missangelalexis]

What awesome photos!! It's always so fun looking back at old Disney trips!

 

[ashw100]

Love your walk down Disneyland memory lane! So glad that you get to go back!

Thanks, I am too excited.

Your old DLR photos are great! What a fun little trip down memory lane...

Thanks, I loved sharing them

Love your old DLR photos! I have one from 1985 with my dad and I and some random kid with Gippetto and Pinocchio! I look terrified and remember being terrified. We have another of Snow White holding me and I'm crying lol. I do however remember loving Minnie Mouse and fighting a crowd of 6 year old to get to her! I was one determined 3 year old! I agree it is very fun to look back and see how much has changed over the years, just like Walt wanted it. Always evolving.

Thanks for sharing I love hearing stuff like that, and you're right it is as Walt would have wanted

What awesome photos!! It's always so fun looking back at old Disney trips!

Thanks, I loving looking back

 

[cindianne320]

How fun to see the old photos! Thanks for sharing!

 

[ashw100]

Day 1 Plans

It's been awhile guy, sorry. The closer this trip gets, the more I am realizing there is really nothing to plan. Which as a planner makes it more stressful for me.

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Every time I go to make my touring plan I end up getting frustrated and give up. It can't really predict when I will be able to get fastpasses, which means I can't really plan for my day. So instead I am kind of going into each day with major attractions we want to hit, instead of a detailed touring plan like I usually make for WDW. The other thing causing a wrinkle in my plans is my youngest's height. He has unfortunately not grown even a centimeter since we booked the trip, which means he is still an inch away from 40".

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However with shoes he is right there, but I don't know if it will be good enough. I am going in with the realization that he most likely will not be able to ride the 40" rides, which is a huge bummer. I was so excited for him to experience Star Tours and Radiator Springs Racers, and he was too.

For our first day in the parks we will be starting the day in DL for early entry. Early entry is at 7am, which is not so bad since we'll still be on central time. I want to ride as much in Tomorrowland as possible, mainly Star Tours and Astro Blasters, then Autopia and the subs if we have time. I will try and get a FP for Space Mountain for just me and we'll utilize rider swap, since none of the kids will do this. We'll also get a FP for Indy for Joe and Connor (James is still too short) and then utilize rider swap again. Before our late breakfast ADR we also hope to accomplish Pirates and Haunted Mansion. We have about three hours and half hours to do all that in, so we'll see. At some point we also need to do a quick park hop to get our WoC FPs. It's quite an ambitious morning, but I have been keeping track of wait times in the early mornings and they are bad so hopefully we can do most of this.

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After breakfast, we will go over to Toontown and a ride before heading out of the park for a rest. With such limited time, I hate having to take midday breaks, but I know better than to push my kids that much. We be back in the park around 3 to do some more of Toontown. And then watch the parade. Our dinner at Cafe Orleans is at five, so we might have to miss some of the parade though. After dinner we will park hop over to DCA. I don't have much of a plan for this evening other than to see WoC. We'll do some of the smaller rides here if we can, but I think all the big rides will have waits that are too long. And that wraps up our plan for day one. Our morning is pretty ambitious, but we've always been successful with similar plans at WDW, so I hopeful it will work out here as well.

 

[Lesley Wake]

So instead I am kind of going into each day with major attractions we want to hit, instead of a detailed touring plan like I usually make for WDW.

Yeah, that is usually a better DL strategy.

The other thing causing a wrinkle in my plans is my youngest's height. He has unfortunately not grown even a centimeter since we booked the trip, which means he is still an inch away from 40".

Oh no! Can you try lifts in his shoes?

I will try and get a FP for Space Mountain for just me and we'll utilize rider swap, since none of the kids will do this.

They now have Single Rider for Space Mountain (added around Thanksgiving), which is even faster than FP. Basically you go in thru the exit (between the theatre and the Star Traders store), and walk past the photo wall and then there is signage. Even on busy evenings it can be a 10-15 minute wait. In the morning it can be a virtual walk-on because a lot of people don’t know it exists yet!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Also, I don’t know if you heard about the Main Street refurb currently happening-they are replacing the horse drawn trolley tracks so ripping up a lot of the pavement. No final date has been set, but as of now, no parades throughout Jan/Feb because they can drive down Main Street! I will be visiting later this week so I’ll let you know how it looks!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I get that about not being able to plan! I've really gotten used to how things work at WDW now with the advanced FP+ and everything, and I think this would be really weird and unsettling for me now if I planned a California trip! But there's also something nice about having some flexibility I guess. Sorry to hear about your little one's height issues! Hopefully with shoes they'll let him go on those rides and it'll be a nice surprise.

 

[missangelalexis]

Planning for DL is definitely different than WDW! Sounds like you have a good strategy for Day 1.

 

[ashw100]

Yeah, that is usually a better DL strategy.

I think my family will like it better, than my regimented touring plans

Oh no! Can you try lifts in his shoes?

I could, but I won't. It is what it is.

They now have Single Rider for Space Mountain (added around Thanksgiving), which is even faster than FP. Basically you go in thru the exit (between the theatre and the Star Traders store), and walk past the photo wall and then there is signage. Even on busy evenings it can be a 10-15 minute wait. In the morning it can be a virtual walk-on because a lot of people don’t know it exists yet!

Awesome, thanks I always forget about single rider, but it would work perfectly in this case.

Also, I don’t know if you heard about the Main Street refurb currently happening-they are replacing the horse drawn trolley tracks so ripping up a lot of the pavement. No final date has been set, but as of now, no parades throughout Jan/Feb because they can drive down Main Street! I will be visiting later this week so I’ll let you know how it looks!

What? No I knew about the main street cars being under refurb but didn't know it was because of this? That really stinks, it's looking like a terrible time to be going with so much closed. Please let me know how it looks, I am more worried about trying to get pictures now. On the plus side, everything that is shut down is one less thing I have to try to fit into the weekend, glass half full right?

I get that about not being able to plan! I've really gotten used to how things work at WDW now with the advanced FP+ and everything, and I think this would be really weird and unsettling for me now if I planned a California trip! But there's also something nice about having some flexibility I guess. Sorry to hear about your little one's height issues! Hopefully with shoes they'll let him go on those rides and it'll be a nice surprise.

I agree I will look at it as a bonus if he can go on.

Planning for DL is definitely different than WDW! Sounds like you have a good strategy for Day 1.

Hopefully it will be good, I am just so in the dark

 

[Lesley Wake]

What? No I knew about the main street cars being under refurb but didn't know it was because of this? That really stinks, it's looking like a terrible time to be going with so much closed. Please let me know how it looks, I am more worried about trying to get pictures now. On the plus side, everything that is shut down is one less thing I have to try to fit into the weekend, glass half full right?

I'm not going to lie-it looks bad right now because they are working on the hub. Here are pictures from someone earlier this week (I was there yesterday): https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...of-main-street-closure.3656986/#post-58663976

Basically, they have construction walls up completely circling the hub and are switching out those tracks right now. I guess once they get those done they will shift to another area further down the street and block it off. You can walk all the way around the hub now, just not through it. It's just a huge eyesore (but I guess better than when they had the castle completely behind scaffolding 2 years ago). I don't know how far they will be completed by the time you get here, but I'll let you know!

 

[ashw100]

I'm not going to lie-it looks bad right now because they are working on the hub. Here are pictures from someone earlier this week (I was there yesterday): https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...of-main-street-closure.3656986/#post-58663976

Basically, they have construction walls up completely circling the hub and are switching out those tracks right now. I guess once they get those done they will shift to another area further down the street and block it off. You can walk all the way around the hub now, just not through it. It's just a huge eyesore (but I guess better than when they had the castle completely behind scaffolding 2 years ago). I don't know how far they will be completed by the time you get here, but I'll let you know!

Oh no that sucks! I really try not to get too upset about refurbishments because the parks need them and unless I go at peak times you just kind of have to suck it up. But this one is honestly devastating to me, I could hope they at least move further down th street by the time we get there, but I seriously doubt it. Thanks for updating me, maybe I should pop on to the Disneyland board every once in awhile.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Oh no that sucks! I really try not to get too upset about refurbishments because the parks need them and unless I go at peak times you just kind of have to suck it up. But this one is honestly devastating to me, I could hope they at least move further down th street by the time we get there, but I seriously doubt it. Thanks for updating me, maybe I should pop on to the Disneyland board every once in awhile.

Yeah, it's just one of those things that happens. You never know when you may plan the perfect trip, and then bam, refurbishments! Well...I guess thats one strategy to get repeat visitors!